In an interview with Sudans Post on Sunday, chairperson of SPLM-IO in Abyei Administrative Area Nyenagwek Kuol said her group submitted a list of nominees to government positions in Abyei to Kiir for appointment four times but has not heard back.
“As we speak, there is no unity government in Abyei Administrative Area because our nominees to the government in Abyei have not been appointed. We have submitted our lists four times to the office of the president for appointment, but we have not heard back,” she said.
“The revitalized peace agreement which we signed in 2018 said that there must be power sharing governments at all levels, national, state, and local levels. Now we are more than four years into the revitalized peace agreement and no unity government in Abyei Administrative Area,” she added.
Kuol said that she is not aware of why the SPLM-IO nominees have not been appointed to government positions in the area, pointing out that it is a constitutional right for the SPLM-IO to participate in Abyei as the peace agreement is the supreme law of the land.
“The revitalized agreement is the supreme law of the land and so it is our right to participate in the government of Abyei because we have a certain percentage. I call on President Kiir to respect the agreement and appoint the SPLM-IO nominees to government positions in Abyei Administrative Area,” she said.
“Unity government is necessary for free and fair elections and for implementation of reforms. We are only less than two years away from the elections and I don’t know if there is going to be elections in Abyei Administrative Area or not under this policy of exclusion,” she added.
According to the revitalized peace agreement, 55% of cabinet positions at all levels shall go to the ruling SPLM-IG under President Salva Kiir, 25% to First Vice President Machar’s SPLM-IO and 10% to SSOA, 8% to OPP and 2% to Former Detainees.